A Long Walk to Forever
by Ze Grammar Nazi
Summary: She hasn't seen him for months, and now all of the sudden he's at her doorstep. Rated K plus for language.


**Two things: The characters of the story aren't mine (4kids and/or Nintendo) and plus the story technically isn't mine either.**

**Inspired by the true story,**** A Long Walk to Forever**

**It's my first fanfic so don't be too harsh okay? The characters are also a little OOC.

* * *

**

A Long Walk to Forever

* * *

They had known each other since birth, living on the fringe near the city of Petalburg, near fields and woods, within sight of a lovely clock tower that belonged to a school of young Pokemon-Trainers.

They were twenty now, and had not seen each other for nearly a year. There had always been playful and comfortable warmth between them, but never any talk of love.

His name was Ash and her name was May.

In the early afternoon of late August, Ash knocked on May's front door.

May came to answer the door. She was carrying a fat, glossy coordinators' magazine she had been reading. The magazine was devoted entirely to professional coordinators. "Ash!" she exclaimed. She had been surprised to see him.

"Could you come for a walk?" he asked. He wasn't a timid person, but when he was with May, he was always somewhat shy. To hide his shyness, he spoke almost very absently, as if he had just came back from a short walk just around the neighbourhood.

"A walk?" May asked.

"One foot in front of the other," said Ash. "Through leaves, over bridges-"

"I had no idea you were in town," she said.

"Just this minute, I got in," he said plainly.

"Still a Ranger, I see," she said.

"Yep," he said. After Ash had completed his League challenges and defeated all of the elite fours of the regions, he thought he could make better use of his time by helping other pokemon and trainers in need so he decided to become a Pokemon Ranger instead. His uniform was rumpled (as usual) and his shoes were dirty as if he had just stepped in a muddy puddle. He held out his hand for the magazine. "Let's see the pretty book," he said.

She gave it to him."I'm getting married, Ash." she said.

"I know," he said. "Let's go for a walk."

"I'm awfully busy, Ash," she said. "The wedding is only a week away."

"If we go for a walk," he said," it will make you rosy. It will make you a rosy bride." He turned the pages of the coordinator's magazine. "Maybe even a rosy coordinator, like- like her." Ash pointed to a beautiful coordinator in the magazine.

"That will be my gift to Drew Rose," said Ash. "By talking you for a walk, I'll be giving him a rosy bride."

"You know his name?" asked May.

"Mother wrote," he said."From LaRousse City?"

"Yes," she said. "You'd like him."

"Maybe," he said.

"Can-can you come to the wedding, Ash?" May asked.

"That I doubt." he said.

"Your vacation isn't long enough?" she asked.

"Vacation?" asked Ash. He was studying a two-page ad for blue pokeballs. "I'm not on vacation," he said.

"Oh?" she said.

"I'm what they call Away WithOut Leave (AWOL)," said Ash.

"Oh, Ash! You're not!" she said.

"Sure I am," he said plainly, still looking at the magazine.

"Why, Ash?" she asked; almost crying.

"I had to find out what your contest pattern is," he said. He read names of all the past contests that she had participated in, from the magazine. "Silverwind and Waterpulse?" he asked. "Or maybe Stun spore with a Fire spin finish." He looked up and smiled. "I plan to give you and your husband a spoon," he said.

"Ash, Ash - tell me really, "she said.

"I want to go for a walk, "he said.

She wrung her finger in his face in a sisterly anguish. "Oh, Ash-you're fooling me about being AWOL," she said.

Ash raised his eyebrows in a strange fashion, indicating that he wasn't kidding.

"Where-where from?" she said.

"Rustboro." he said.

"Rustboro City?" she asked.

"That's right," he said. "Near the Rusturf tunnel, it's the city where Max went to school."

"How did you get here, Ash?" she asked.

He raised his thumb, jerked it in a hitchhike gesture. "Two days." he said.

"Does your mom know?" she asked.

"I didn't come to see my mother," he told her.

"Who did you come to see?" she said.

"You," he said.

"Why me?" she said.

"Because I love you," he said. "Now can we take a walk?" he asked. "One foot in front of the other-through leaves, over bridges-"

. . .

They were walking now, in the woods with a brown-leafed floor.

May was angry, rattled and close to tears. "Ash," she said, "this is absolutely crazy."

"How so?" asked Ash.

"Because this is a crazy time to tell me you love me," she said. "You never talked that way before." She stopped walking.

"Let's keep walking," he said.

"No," she said. "We've already walked too far. I shouldn't have come out with you at all," she concluded.

"But you did," he said.

"To get you out of the house," she said."If somebody walked in and heard you talking to me that way, a week before the wedding-"

"What would they think?" he asked.

"They'd think you were crazy," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

May took a deep breath then made a speech."Let me say that I'm deeply honoured by this crazy thing you've done for me," she said. "I can't believe you're really AWOL, but maybe you are. I can't believe you really love me, but maybe you do. But-"

"I do," said Ash.

"Well, I'm deeply honoured," said May, "and I'm very fond of you as a friend Ash, extremely fond, but it's just too late." She took a step away from him. "You've never even kissed me," she said, and she protected herself with her hands. "I don't mean you should do it now. I just mean this is all so unexpected. I haven't got the remotest idea of how to respond."

"Just walk some more," he said. "Have a nice time."

They started walking again.

"How did you expect me to react?" she asked.

"How would I know what to expect?" he said."I've never done anything like this before."

"Did you think I would throw myself into your arms?" she asked.

"Maybe," he said.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you," she said.

I'm not disappointed," he said. "I wasn't counting on it. This is very nice, just walking."

May stopped again."You know what happens next?"

"Nope," he said.

"We shake hands," she said. "We shake hands and part friends," she said. "That's what happens next."

Ash nodded."All right," he said. "Remember me from time to time. Remember how much I love you."

Involuntarily, May bursted into tears. She turned her back to Ash and looked into the infinite colonnade of the woods.

"What does that mean?" said Ash.

"Rage!" exclaimed May. She clenched her hands. "You have no right-"

"I had to find out," he said.

"If I'd loved you," she said, "I would have let you know before now."

"You would?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. She faced him, looked up at him; her face quite red. "You would have known," she said.

"How?" he asked.

"You would have seen it," she said. "Women aren't very clever at hiding it."

Ash looked closely at May's face now. To her distress, she'd realized that what she had said was true, that a woman couldn't hide love.

Ash was seeing love now.

And he did what he had to do. He kissed her.

. . .

"You're hell to get along with!" she said when Ash let her go.

"I am?" asked Ash; clueless.

"You shouldn't have done that," she said.

"You didn't like it?" he said.

"What did you expect," she said "wild, abandoned passion?"

"I keep telling you," he said, "I never know what's going to happen next."

"We say good-bye." she said.

Ash frowned slightly. "All right," he said.

Before she left, May made one last speech. "I'm not sorry we kissed," she said. "That was sweet. We should have kissed, we were so close. I'll always remember you Ash, and good luck."

"You too," he said.

"Thank you, Ash." she said.

"Thirty days," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"Thirty days in the kitchen," he said "that's what one kiss will cost me."

"I-I'm sorry," she said, "but I didn't ask you to go leave on duty"

"I know," he said.

"You certainly don't deserve any hero's welcome for doing something as foolish as that," she said.

"Must be nice to be a hero," said Ash. "Is Drew a hero?"

"He might be, if he got the chance," said May. She noted uneasily that they had begun to walk again. That farewell had been forgotten.

"You really love him?" he asked.

"Certainly I love him!" she said, ardently "I wouldn't have married him if I didn't love him!"

"What's good about him?" asked Ash.

"Honestly!" she cried, stopping again. "Do you have any idea how offensive you're being? Many, many things are good about Drew! And yes, many, many things are probably bad too. But that isn't any of your business. I love Drew, and I don't have to argue his merits with you!"

"Sorry," said Ash.

"Honestly!" said May.

Ash kissed her again. He kissed her again only because she wanted him to.

. . .

They were now in a large orchard.

"How did we get so far from home, Ash?" asked May.

"One foot in front of the other-through leaves, over bridges," Ash said.

"Then they all add up; the steps," she said.

Bells rang in the tower of the school nearby.

"School for the trainers," said Ash.

"School for the trainers," said May. She shook her head in a drowsy wonder. "I've got to go back now," she said.

"Say good-by," said Ash.

"Every time I do, I seem to get kissed."

Ash sat down on the close-cropped grass under an apple tree. "Come, sit." he said, patting the space next to him.

"No,"

"I won't touch you; promise."

"I don't believe you,"

May sat down under another tree; twenty feet away from him. She then closed her eyes.

"Dream of Drew Rose," he said.

"What?" she said.

"Dream of your wonderful husband-to-be," he said.

"All right, I will," she said. She closed her eyes tighter, catching a glimpse of her husband-to-be.

Ash yawned.

The bees were humming in the trees, and May almost fell asleep. When she opened her eyes she saw that Ash really was asleep.

He began to snore softly.

May let Ash sleep for a little while longer, and while he slept she began to reflect back on the days when they were still kids, having fun and not realizing how close they really were.

The shadows of the apple trees grew farther to the east. The bell tower of the trainer's school rang again.

"Kri-kri—kriketot!" went a kriketot.

May came out from under her tree and knelt by Ash.

"Ash?" she asked.

"Hm?" he said before opening his eyes.

"Late," she said.

"Hello, May," he said with a smile.

"Hi, Ash," she replied back.

"I love you," he said.

"I know," she said.

"Too late." he said.

"Too late," she said.

He stood up and stretched groaningly, "A very nice walk."

"I thought so too." she said.

"Part company here?" he asked.

"Where will you go?"

"Hitch into town, get a ride back to Rustboro, then turn myself in," he said.

"Good luck," she said.

"You too," he said. "Marry me, May?"

"No Ash." May said practically.

He smiled, stared at her for a moment, then walked away quickly.

May watched him grow smaller in the long perspective of shadows and trees, and knew that if he stopped and turned now and called to her, she would run to him. She would have no choice.

Ash did stop, he did turn, and he did call, "May,"

She ran to him, put her arms around him; but she couldn't speak.

* * *

**And that's where our story ends.**


End file.
